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Ever since winning the Delaware State Championship for the Sanford School, Jyare Davis has had a thirst for perfection.

Although Davis was an eighth grader on Sanford’s varsity basketball squad when it won a title in 2016, the guard still had an impact on the team’s success, often coming off the bench and using his size to put points on the scoreboard.

Despite his youth, Davis averaged eight points and five rebounds a game for the team out of Hockessin, Delaware, giving him an early reputation as one of the top players to watch throughout the state.

Having played basketball since he was 5 years old, after picking up a ball he saw lying around, Davis made a promise to himself to work to become one of the best athletes on the East Coast.

“I try to get better every day,” Davis said. “I know if I keep getting better, I’m going to be where I want to be in basketball. When I first started playing, I just liked it more and more, and I’m really loving it now.”

After a victorious rookie season, Davis returned to Sanford as a freshman, where he immediately took over the court with his shooting and rebounding abilities.

Standing at 6-foot-7, Davis led the Warriors’ offensive attack, tallying more than 20 points a game and leading Sanford back to the Delaware state tournament.

His squad lost in the quarterfinal round, but Davis’ name was quickly circulating throughout the area following another impressive season. The freshman was named an All-American third team selection by MaxPreps, an All-State first team member by the Delaware Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association and made the All-Independent Conference first team.

With so much hype surrounding him, Davis wasn’t sure how to respond, but wanting to continue improving his game, the Sanford star used all the buzz as a motivator rather than a distraction.

“I think I’ve kind of gotten used to it,” David said. “At first, it was a little bit of pressure, but you don’t pay attention to it, you keep getting better and get to where you want to be personally and not worry about what everybody else says.”

Between the summer of his freshman and sophomore year, more awards and accolades came his way.

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Sanford's Jyare Davis (13) moves the ball during a game against Gray Collegiate on Friday, Dec. 29, 2017.(Photo: Staff photo by Ralph Musthaler)

He was ranked the No. 1 player in Delaware for the Class of 2020, and named the 24th best high basketball player in the country.

Wanting to showcase his skills, Davis participated in the 2017 USA Men’s Junior National Team minicamp, where several college scouts saw firsthand the talent the Warriors’ guard brings to the court.

Schools like Duke and Kentucky – two of the top Division I men’s basketball institutions in the country — expressed interest in the sophomore, while others such as Florida, Miami and St. John’s immediately offered Davis a scholarship.

Still having three years of high school ahead of him, Davis was shocked by the interest from several college teams, but it never stopped him from focusing on his teammates at Sanford and working to bring the school another championship.

“You want to be a teammate people want to play with,” Davis said. “We’re all close friends, and we all try to play for each other, so I think it’s good chemistry, and as we keep playing we’re just going to get better.”

But Davis still thinks about the future, remembering the promise he made to himself when he first started playing the sport nearly 10 years ago.

He hopes to play in the NBA, being the next player from Delaware to ultimately make it to basketball’s biggest stage.

Although he spends a lot of his time on the court or in the weight room, Davis said he still has time be a regular teenager, hanging with friends, playing video games and always finding a few hours to catch up with the most recent shows on Netflix.

“I’m watching ‘Stranger Things’ right now,” Davis said with a laugh.

With a future in basketball all but guaranteed, Davis is excited about what lies ahead.

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At the 37th Governor’s Challenge, Davis and the Warriors were given the opportunity to take on other talented squads the unit wouldn’t normally see under regular circumstances.

Taking on Gray Collegiate on Friday, Sanford fell in the contest, with Davis putting up 17 points.

“We could schedule easy games, but playing against good competition helps us get better as a team,” Davis said. “There’s a lot of stuff you can learn from this and help you get better later on in the season.”

While his numbers continue to improve, Davis is dedicated to building a stronger squad. His current goal isn’t just to be the best player in the state — it’s to play on the team that is the top squad in Delaware.

“We just need to make sure we play hard the whole game,” Davis said. “We want to win state championships, and that’s the main goal for us right now. We just need to keep winning and we’ll be good.”